PANAJI
Goa's economic growth rate, at current prices and quick estimate method, is forecast to be an ambitious 10.33 per cent in the 2023-24 fiscal in the Economic Survey presented to the Goa legislative assembly by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday even as it said it was 9.11 per-cent in 2021-22.
The Manohar International Airport at Mopa has been cited as the chief driver of such a robust growth rate. Some of the other factors cited by the survey for the growth rate are the setting up of Higher Education institutes, policies made for tourism and the anticipated resumption of mining activity.
While it pegged the State's gross domestic product in 2021-22 at Rs 80,000-odd crores, the economic survey said it will be Rs 90,641.86 crore as per advance estimates at current prices.
It also said, the per-capita income in the State had risen to Rs 5.27 lakh in 2021-22, following a consistent upward trend since 2017-18 when it was Rs 4.54 lakhs.
On other human development indicators, it said Goa's birth rate had dropped to 9.72 per thousand population from the 11.66 per thousand population rate of 2020. The birth rate is estimated at mid-year and takes into account live births.
Another significant factor noted in the economic survey is decline in rural population, a trend noticed since 2011 with an average decrease of 1.15 per cent over the previous decade.
According to the survey, the State estimated population in 2023 stood at 15.75 lakh with female population marginally higher than male at 50.4%. It cites the Population Projections for India and States 2011- 2036, published by the National Commission on Population, as its source for the population projections.
The overall estimated growth in population since 2011 to 2021 is 6.89% and estimated growth up to 2023 is 7.98%.
It also said, the State had a vehicle population of 11.72 lakh as of December 31, 2022, as per the live register of the Regional Transport Office.
Economic achievements highlighted in the survey include annual milk production estimate of 63205.54 tonnes, egg production at 438.32 lakh and meat production at 5927.863 tonnes, estimated through the Integrated Sample Survey.
It also quoted Investment promotion board's approvals to 11 new projects envisaging a total of Rs 1187.95 crore investment and a potential to generate 4,697 jobs.
